In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes or until nicely browned. Add onion, celery, carrot, pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Place 1-2 cups (depending on desired thickness) of soup in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Stir mixture back into pot. Serve with rice, cilantro, avocado, green onions, lime wedges, etc.

In a wok or very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Of moderately high hear Add the ginger, scallion whites, shallot, peppers, pancetta, and cooked meat. Cook over, stirring constantly, until veggies are tender, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced shiitakes and corn, sprinkle with a little soy sauce, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and stir-fry until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Make a well in the rice and add the sesame oil then the eggs. Cook without stirring until the eggs begin to set at the edge. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs until just set. Stir the eggs into the rice along with the vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Top with green scallions. Serve immediately.

(Note: If using bouillon + water, this step can be skipped) Bring broth to a boil over high heat in large pot (this will be used to cook pasta later) and cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Pulse pancetta in food processor until finely chopped, 15 to 20 pulses. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and pulse until vegetables are finely chopped and mixture has paste-like consistency, 12 to 15 pulses, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Heat butter and oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. When foaming subsides, add pancetta-vegetable mixture and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Spread mixture in even layer in bottom of pot and continue to cook, stirring every couple minutes, until very dark browned bits form on bottom of pot, 7 to 12 minutes longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook until paste is rust-colored and bottom of pan is dark brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, add beef, and cook, using wooden spoons to break meat into pieces no larger than 1/4 inch, until beef has just lost raw pink color, 4 to 7 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up and browned bits, and begin to simmer. Cook until wine has evaporated and sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and Parmesan. Return sauce to simmer; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauce will look thin at this point.

Rinse pot that held broth. While sauce simmers, bring 4 quarts water to boil in now-empty pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta to pot with sauce and toss to combine. Adjust sauce consistency with reserved cooking water as needed.

Spread carrots on a large baking sheet that is lined with parchment or greased. Roast carrots for 30-40 minutes, turning halfway through. Thickness of carrots will determine doneness so check often to avoid burning

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, then lower to 400 while sprouts are actually roasting.

Trim off the sprout stem and remove any yellow outer leaves. Toss the halved sprouts with the other ingredients in a bowl until evenly coated.

Spread in a single layer on a large sheet pan (do not overcrowd). Reduce oven to 400 degrees and bake in the upper 1/3 rack, for 30-35 minutes. The exterior should be crisp, with edges browned, and the inside still tender. Toss/stir halfway through for more even browning.

Preheat oven to 375. Scrub sweet potatoes and pat dry. Thinly slice sweet potatoes into round discs (with a mandolin is best). Place all of the potato discs in a large Ziploc bag. Add vinegar, close bag, and shake to coat the potato slices. Allow to rest at room temperature 10-15 minutes.

Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil and spray generously with cooking spray (or use a silicone baking mat). Drain the bag, and place all of the potato discs in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with half of the salt and spray generously with cooking spray.

Bake 15-20 minutes. Use a thin spatula to flip the chips over, and sprinkle with remaining salt. Bake another 15-20 minutes until chips are crispy but not burned.

Slightly beat the eggs, stir in the cornbread mix. Then add all the remaining ingredients. Add mixture to a buttered dish (8-inch square, 1.5 qt oval) and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Done when the edges slightly brown and separate, the top will not brown. Do not overcook.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Evenly place the sliced onion along the bottom.

Place the chicken into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add the peeled & smashed garlic cloves and toss to combine. Sprinkle the seasonings across the top of the chicken-garlic mixture and toss until chicken is well coated with seasonings.

Transfer the chicken-garlic mixture to the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or high for 2-3 hours.